Rigor in animal-assisted therapy (AAT) research is growing, but AAT as an “evidence-based practice” is not yet clearly established. One methodological weakness in the current literature is the lack of a structured, manualized approach to AAT. The Mutt-i-grees Curriculum, founded on the principles of human-canine interaction, aims to enhance children’s resilience, social skills, and self-awareness. This study examined the utility of this manualized curriculum as a supplemental component of a pediatric intensive behavioral health treatment program for children with a range of psychiatric conditions. Patients, psychiatrists, and caregivers completed assessments of children’s (N = 22) symptoms before and after treatment, with analyses investigating the difference in symptoms for patients who received animal-assisted therapy (AAT) as a part of their treatment and patients who did not. Patients also completed mood scores before and after group sessions with and without a therapy dog present. Results indicate that AAT may be an effective adjunct to standard care in a pediatric setting. The success of AAT alongside behavioral treatment led to reduction in symptoms and improvement in mood for patients. These findings support previous research indicating the efficacy of using a manualized curriculum and the advantages of using dogs as part of treatment to supplement behavioral health services.

中文翻译：

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急性门诊心理健康环境中基于课程的动物辅助治疗

动物辅助治疗 (AAT) 研究的严谨性正在增长，但 AAT 作为“基于证据的实践”尚未明确确立。当前文献中的一个方法论弱点是缺乏结构化的、手动的 AAT 方法。Mutt-i-grees 课程建立在人犬互动的原则之上，旨在提高儿童的适应力、社交技能和自我意识。本研究检查了该手册化课程作为针对患有一系列精神疾病的儿童的儿科强化行为健康治疗计划的补充组成部分的效用。患者、精神科医生和护理人员在治疗前后完成了对儿童 (N = 22) 症状的评估，分析调查了接受动物辅助治疗 (AAT) 作为治疗的一部分的患者和未接受动物辅助治疗的患者的症状差异。在有治疗犬和没有治疗犬的情况下，患者还在小组会议之前和之后完成了情绪评分。结果表明，AAT 可能是儿科环境中标准护理的有效辅助手段。AAT 与行为治疗相结合的成功导致患者症状减轻和情绪改善。这些发现支持先前的研究，表明使用手动课程的有效性以及使用狗作为治疗的一部分来补充行为健康服务的优势。结果表明，AAT 可能是儿科环境中标准护理的有效辅助手段。AAT 与行为治疗相结合的成功导致患者症状减轻和情绪改善。这些发现支持先前的研究，表明使用手动课程的有效性以及使用狗作为治疗的一部分来补充行为健康服务的优势。结果表明，AAT 可能是儿科环境中标准护理的有效辅助手段。AAT 与行为治疗相结合的成功导致患者症状减轻和情绪改善。这些发现支持先前的研究，表明使用手动课程的有效性以及使用狗作为治疗的一部分来补充行为健康服务的优势。